#DRIVE Rally Review

#DRIVE Rally, developed and published by Pixel Perfect Dude, is not just another racing game—it’s a full-throttle tribute to the gritty, adrenaline-fueled rally races of the 90s. The game combines old-school rally racing with modern mechanics, delivering a driving experience accessible to newcomers yet challenging enough to keep veterans returning for more. Whether sliding through the dusty backroads of Dry Crumbs or navigating the icy corners of Revontuli, #DRIVE Rally celebrates speed, precision, and style while paying homage to the legendary rally cars of the past.

With a mix of stunning retro environments, legendary vehicles, and enthusiastic co-drivers who cheer you on (or call you out), the game brings a lot to the table for fans of the genre. It’s a celebration of the joy of racing, packed with customization, arcade mechanics, and a robust community-driven experience. But does #DRIVE Rally hit all the right checkpoints, or does it stall on the track? Let’s rev up and find out.

Setting and Story

#DRIVE Rally takes players on a journey through various diverse, beautifully crafted landscapes, each inspired by different terrains and climates. The game doesn’t rely on a traditional story to drive its gameplay but builds its narrative through immersive environments and nostalgic callbacks to 90s rally racing culture. The focus is on the thrill of the race and the celebration of rally driving itself, with each location adding its personality to the experience.

The world of #DRIVE Rally is divided into distinct regions, each with its unique flavour:

• Dry Crumbs: A sun-scorched desert landscape filled with dusty trails, winding roads, and tight corners that test your drifting skills. This arid environment is reminiscent of classic desert rally stages, where the heat and dust become your biggest adversaries.
• Holzberg: Whispering woods and dense forests dominate this region, offering challenging, narrow paths that require precise control to avoid trees and obstacles. This setting is ideal for fans of classic forest rally stages, with the potential for fast, sweeping turns and high-risk navigation through thick foliage.
• Revontuli: A chilly, snow-covered wilderness that tests players’ skills with icy roads and low visibility. Slippery terrain and unpredictable weather add a layer of difficulty, forcing players to adapt their driving style to maintain control. Revontuli embodies the essence of arctic rally stages, where even the slightest mistake can send you sliding off the track.

Each region is meticulously designed to evoke a sense of place and push players to adapt to different driving conditions. The environments are packed with retro-styled details, from neon signs to roadside diners, enhancing the nostalgic atmosphere. In each location, players can choose from legendary rally cars, modified and customized to suit their driving style.

While the game doesn’t have a traditional narrative, the personality and humour of the co-driver add a lighthearted touch to the experience. The co-driver provides helpful (and sometimes overly enthusiastic) directions, which not only help you stay on course but inject some humour into the race. Their dialogue and reactions bring a bit of narrative flair to each rally, making the partnership feel more personal as they cheer you on, criticize your mistakes, or provide improvement tips.

The overall setting and mood of #DRIVE Rally is a nostalgic throwback to 90s racing culture but with a modern twist. The combination of retro environments, legendary cars, and arcade-style mechanics transports players back to a time when rally racing games were about fun, speed, and style. The game’s environments are more than just backdrops; they are characters in themselves, shaping the gameplay and contributing to the immersive, adrenaline-pumping experience.

Gameplay and Mechanics

#DRIVE Rally shines in its gameplay, combining the best elements of 90s rally racing with modern arcade mechanics to create a fast, fluid, and addictive experience. The game is designed to be accessible to players of all skill levels, whether you’re a seasoned rally veteran or a newcomer to the genre. With simple, intuitive controls that pack plenty of depth, #DRIVE Rally delivers on its promise of high-speed thrills and skill-based driving.

Arcade-Style Mechanics:

At its core, #DRIVE Rally is an arcade racer with mechanics focusing on fun over realism. The handling system is responsive and easy to pick up, allowing players to dive straight into the action without mastering overly complicated driving physics. However, the game’s depth comes into play as you refine your skills—drifting through tight corners, managing throttle control on tricky terrain, and boosting at just the right moments become crucial to winning races and improving your times.

The game emphasizes smooth drifts and quick reflexes, giving players the tools to slide around corners and maintain control at high speeds. The balance between easy-to-learn controls and challenging tracks keeps the gameplay fresh. At the same time, the arcade design ensures that the focus remains on enjoyment and high-octane racing rather than punishing players with hyper-realistic physics.

Co-Driver Assistance:

The co-driver mechanic adds an interesting dynamic to the game. Your co-driver provides real-time feedback, calling out upcoming turns, hazards, and optimal driving lines. This mechanic is essential for navigating tricky courses and brings a level of immersion to the rally experience. The co-driver doesn’t just serve as a functional tool—they have personality, reacting with enthusiasm or frustration depending on your performance. This creates a partnership dynamic that adds a fun layer to the gameplay, as their feedback can make or break your concentration.

Customization and Car Variety:

Customization is another key feature in #DRIVE Rally, allowing players to personalize their cars to match their preferred racing style. You can start with one of the game’s legendary rally cars—such as the Das Holzwagen, The Bobond, or the fan-favourite Doggo—and modify them to suit your tastes. The game offers a wide range of options, from body customization to paintwork, decals, and even decorative touches that add flair to your ride. Whether you prefer a gritty, practical rally car or a showpiece brimming with personality, #DRIVE Rally allows you to express your style.

Each car has its handling characteristics, so players can experiment with different vehicle types to find what suits them best. Whether you enjoy the weighty handling of the Das Sandsturm or the sleek speed of the Celestia, the variety of cars and their customization options ensure that the game remains fun and varied across multiple play sessions.

Track Design and Challenges:

The track design in #DRIVE Rally is crafted to test your skills and reflexes. Each region offers unique challenges—the tight, winding roads of Holzberg’s forests or the icy, treacherous paths of Revontuli. The game’s diverse environments push players to adapt their driving style, with different terrains impacting how cars handle. Slippery ice, dusty dirt roads, and rocky off-road trails require different techniques to keep players engaged and on their toes.

In addition to the standard rally races, the game also features time trials, endurance challenges, and other special events that provide variety and keep the gameplay fresh. The combination of different game modes and environmental challenges ensures that players are always faced with new obstacles to overcome, adding to the replayability.

Arcade Progression and Rewards:

#DRIVE Rally incorporates a progression system that rewards players for completing races, improving their performance, and exploring the game’s mechanics. As you progress, you unlock new cars, customization options, and tracks, giving you more tools to experiment with as you refine your racing skills. The game’s loot system ensures that each race feels rewarding as you earn new parts and upgrades to fine-tune your car.

This progression system, combined with the arcade mechanics, gives the game a sense of constant improvement. Each new car, decal, or performance upgrade you unlock feels like a step forward in your racing career, and the ability to customize your car further enhances the feeling of ownership and progression.

Photo Mode and Community Features:

For players who love to capture their best moments, #DRIVE Rally features a fully-fledged Photo Mode. This feature lets you pause the action, adjust camera angles, apply filters, and capture your most epic drifts or jumps. The freedom to play with angles and filters adds an extra layer of creativity to the game, encouraging players to share their greatest racing moments with friends and the broader #DRIVE community.

Speaking of community, #DRIVE Rally has built a solid player base that actively participates in challenges, events, and discussions on platforms like Discord. The game embraces its community by offering ways to engage with other players, share tips, and compete on leaderboards. This community-driven approach adds a social element to the game, even in its single-player-focused structure.

In summary, #DRIVE Rally blends arcade simplicity with deeper mechanics, allowing skillful driving and rewarding progression. The variety of cars, tracks, and customization options keep the gameplay fresh, while the co-driver mechanic adds personality and depth to the racing experience. Whether you’re a casual player looking for quick racing fun or a seasoned driver aiming for perfect runs, #DRIVE Rally offers a compelling and addictive driving experience.

RIVE Rally doesn’t feature traditional head-to-head multiplayer modes; it actively encourages community participation through leaderboards and challenges. Players can compete for the best times on each track, and these leaderboards allow for indirect competition. This asynchronous multiplayer system pushes players to refine their skills and chase the top spots, even if they aren’t directly racing against other drivers in real-time.

The game’s focus on leaderboards enhances its replayability, as players are motivated to return to tracks and shave seconds off their times. Whether you’re attempting to beat a personal record or climb up the global rankings, the leaderboards create an ongoing challenge that adds a competitive edge to the game.

Time Trials and Event Challenges:

Beyond the standard races, #DRIVE Rally offers time trials and event-specific challenges that add variety to the gameplay. Time trials push players to perfect their driving lines and master each course by competing against the clock, while event challenges provide unique goals that may require specific car builds or driving techniques. These timed challenges often offer rewards such as new car parts or cosmetic upgrades, allowing players to revisit tracks and refine their racing strategy.

The event challenges can be updated with new objectives or unique twists to keep the experience fresh and ensure that players return to complete new challenges. The diversity of these modes adds an extra layer of depth and replayability, giving players new ways to engage with the game.

Car Customization and Experimentation:

One key factor contributing to #DRIVE Rally’s replayability is its deep car customization system. The ability to unlock and personalize a variety of rally cars keeps players invested in perfecting their favourite vehicles. With every new customization option—whether it’s a performance upgrade or a cosmetic enhancement—players are encouraged to revisit tracks and test out different builds.

Experimenting with different car types and setups also adds to the game’s long-term appeal. Some players may prefer fast, lightweight cars with exceptional handling, while others might opt for heavier vehicles with powerful engines that can barrel through challenging terrain. This flexibility in car builds means that each track can be tackled differently, adding variety to the racing experience.

Photo Mode and Sharing:

The inclusion of Photo Mode enhances the creative side of the game and strengthens its community engagement. Players can capture their best moments—whether it’s a perfectly executed drift, a high-speed jump, or an intense turn through hazardous terrain—and share these photos with others. The game encourages players to take pride in their car designs and racing achievements, fostering community.

By allowing players to share their customized cars, racing moments, and track times, #DRIVE Rally creates a platform for indirect multiplayer interaction. This shared experience helps build a strong community around the game, even without real-time multiplayer races.

Replayability Through Diverse Tracks and Environments:

The game’s handcrafted tracks and distinct environments offer plenty of variety, encouraging players to experiment with different strategies as they adapt to new terrains. From the dusty, fast-paced roads of Dry Crumbs to the icy, slippery tracks of Revontuli, each environment offers a unique challenge. This diversity in track design ensures that no two races feel the same, keeping the gameplay engaging and unpredictable.

The changing weather conditions and terrain types also contribute to the replay value. Depending on the weather, certain tracks may offer different challenges, forcing players to rethink their approach. The unpredictability of the environmental elements means that even familiar tracks can feel fresh and exciting after multiple playthroughs.

Constantly Evolving Content:

While #DRIVE Rally doesn’t rely on a traditional multiplayer structure, its replayability is bolstered by the constant stream of new content through updates, events, and challenges. As new cars, customization options, and event challenges are introduced, the game offers players new reasons to return. This evolving content ensures that the experience remains dynamic, with new goals and rewards to chase.

Overall, #DRIVE Rally successfully engages players by focusing on leaderboards, time trials, and car customization. The asynchronous competitive elements, community sharing, and constant updates ensure that the game remains fun and engaging beyond the initial races. The game’s replayability is built around mastering the tracks, unlocking new customization options, and chasing personal bests, making it a compelling experience for players looking for long-term engagement.

Graphics and Sound

#DRIVE Rally evokes a nostalgic racing vibe through its retro-inspired visual design while offering a polished, modern presentation. The game’s colourful environments, detailed car models, and dynamic sound design all create an engaging and immersive experience for players who love rally racing and 90s aesthetics.

Graphics:

The visual style of #DRIVE Rally is a perfect blend of retro aesthetics and modern graphical quality. The environments are vibrant and distinct, each region offering its visual flair. Whether you’re racing through the scorching deserts of Dry Crumbs or navigating the icy roads of Revontuli, the game’s art style breathes life into the various landscapes. The tracks are packed with little details, from roadside diners and neon signs to rocky outcrops and dense forest trees, creating a lively and immersive world.

The retro design philosophy is most noticeable in the game’s stylized car models and environments, which harken back to the 90s era of rally racing games. The low-poly look of some elements is intentional, as it captures the charm of older racing titles while incorporating modern visual techniques like dynamic lighting and particle effects. The result is a visually appealing game that nods to its roots while taking advantage of current hardware capabilities.

The customization options further enhance the visual appeal. Players can modify their cars with different colours, decals, and other cosmetic touches, making each vehicle feel personal and unique. These visual customizations add to the game’s identity, allowing players to express their style in races and through Photo Mode.

Environmental Variety and Visual Effects:

The diverse environments in #DRIVE Rally contribute significantly to the game’s visual identity. Each region has its atmosphere and weather conditions, which can change dynamically during races. In Dry Crumbs, you’ll race through dusty desert winds; in Revontuli, you’ll find yourself battling through snowstorms and icy roads. The game’s visual effects, such as dust clouds kicked up from sharp turns and the glistening ice that reflects the sunlight, immerse players in the various climates and terrains.

The lighting and particle effects further elevate the visual presentation. Day and night cycles bring variety to races, while environmental effects like sun glare, shadows, and reflections create a realistic and visually captivating experience. The transition from daylight to dusk, with the glow of headlights piercing through the darkness, adds drama to the races and keeps the visuals dynamic.

Sound Design:

Sound is critical in immersing players in the high-speed world of #DRIVE Rally. The sound of engines roaring, tires screeching, and the gravel crunching under your wheels brings each race to life. The audio feedback from your car is excellent, giving you a clear sense of the vehicle’s power and responsiveness as you accelerate, brake, and drift through corners.

The sound design also extends to the environmental noises. In the forest stages of Holzberg, you’ll hear the rustling of trees and birds in the distance, while in the desert, the sound of wind sweeping across the dunes adds atmosphere to the race. The dynamic soundscape adjusts based on the region and weather conditions, providing an extra layer of immersion that enhances the racing experience.

Music:

#DRIVE Rally‘s soundtrack adds to the game’s retro feel with an upbeat, 90s-inspired score that fits the fast-paced nature of the races. The music selection blends electronic beats, rock-infused tracks, and synth-wave elements, evoking the spirit of classic racing games while energizing players during intense competitions.

The game strikes a good balance between its energetic tracks and quieter moments. During high-stakes races or time trials, the music ramps up the intensity, while in more relaxed sections, the soundtrack takes a backseat, allowing the sound of the car and environment to take center stage. The variety of music tracks ensures that players won’t tire of the same tunes after long play sessions, as the game consistently offers fresh beats to complement the racing action.

Voice Acting and Co-Driver Interactions:

The co-driver mechanic, a central feature in #DRIVE Rally, features enthusiastic voice acting that adds both functionality and personality to the gameplay. The co-driver guides players with directions and reacts to their performance in real time. Their calls—whether to warn you of a sharp left turn or cheer you on after a well-executed drift—are delivered with energy and flair.

The co-driver’s dialogue brings humour and charm to the races, occasionally offering tips or sarcastic comments, making the partnership feel dynamic. Whether they’re excited by your success or frustrated by your mistakes, their voiceovers add personality to the game, enhancing the emotional stakes of each race. The voice acting helps make the game feel like a true rally experience, where co-drivers play a crucial role in assisting players to master each course.

Performance:

From a performance standpoint, #DRIVE Rally runs smoothly, with no noticeable frame drops, even during the most chaotic racing moments. The game is well-optimized and performs consistently across different platforms and hardware configurations. The load times are minimal, ensuring players can jump into races quickly without long waiting periods.

In conclusion, #DRIVE Rally excels in graphics and sound, offering a visually stunning and aurally immersive experience that captures the spirit of classic rally racing. The retro-inspired art style, dynamic environments, and punchy sound design work together to create a fresh yet nostalgic game. Whether customizing your car, racing through diverse landscapes, or soaking in the 90s-infused soundtrack, #DRIVE Rally delivers an audiovisual experience that enhances its fast-paced, addictive gameplay.

Final Thoughts

#DRIVE Rally captures the essence of 90s rally racing while bringing it to a modern audience with fresh, arcade-inspired mechanics and vibrant visuals. Pixel Perfect Dude has crafted a game that balances accessibility with depth, offering an experience that’s easy to pick up yet challenging enough to keep players returning for more. The blend of retro aesthetics, diverse environments, and customizable cars makes #DRIVE Rally an engaging and fun racing game that appeals to casual players and rally enthusiasts.

The game’s focus on smooth, arcade-style racing ensures players can dive right into the action without the steep learning curve often associated with simulation racers. However, mastering the art of drifting through tight corners and navigating varied terrains takes skill, adding layers of depth and rewarding dedicated players. Adding co-driver dynamics, customizable cars, and varied tracks keeps the gameplay fresh and exciting.

Strengths:

• Nostalgic Charm with Modern Polish: #DRIVE Rally evokes the spirit of classic 90s rally games while offering a sleek, modern design that stands out visually.
• Accessible Arcade Mechanics: The gameplay is easy for newcomers to pick up while offering enough challenges for veterans to perfect their skills.
• Diverse Environments and Tracks: The game’s regions—Dry Crumbs, Holzberg, and Revontuli—each provide unique driving experiences, from desert dunes to icy roads.
• Customization: The ability to personalize cars with performance upgrades and visual tweaks keeps players invested in their vehicle choices.
• Replayability: Time trials, leaderboards, and community-driven content ensure long-term engagement, even without traditional multiplayer modes.
• Retro-Inspired Soundtrack and Engaging Sound Design: The nostalgic soundtrack and detailed sound effects enhance the racing experience, creating an immersive atmosphere.

Weaknesses:

• No Traditional Multiplayer: While the game includes leaderboards and community engagement, the lack of real-time multiplayer may leave some players wanting direct competition with friends.
• Limited Long-Term Content for Hardcore Players: While the progression system and events add replay value, the gameplay loop may feel repetitive to players seeking more content variety over time.

Overall, #DRIVE Rally is a love letter to classic rally racing wrapped in a fun, fast-paced arcade experience. Whether you’re chasing high scores, perfecting your drift, or simply cruising through retro-inspired tracks, #DRIVE Rally delivers a racing experience that’s both nostalgic and modern. It’s a must-try for fans of the genre or anyone looking for a lighthearted yet skillful racing game with a distinctive style.

We prepared this review with a digital copy of #DRIVE Rally for the Steam version provided by Evolve PR.